When Did Your Heart Go Missing?

It turns out Free the Freshmen was much more complicated than I thought but still crazy fun. The sophomores, juniors and seniors help the freshmen leave school for one hour: lunch time. The sophomores didn't get 'freed' because it was "Free the Freshmen" not "Free the Underclassmen". But the best part is that it was strictly invitation only; and little miss bitch-a.k.a. Mrs. Frank Iero, a.k.a. Remi- was not invited. But the better part is the argument.

As we walked down the hall to the exit we were informed to go to (by Bob and Kelsey, the sophomores that are in on this mission), Frank kept sighing. Mikey and I exchanged knowing smirks. Why? Because Remi cursed us all out (especially Frank) when we said we were going off campus and she couldn't.

"You do now realize she's a bitch, right?" Mikey said this carefully because he knew it would piss Frank off. And it did.

"What is your problem, Mikey?" Frank asked. I stood between them before it was too late.

"Mikey, you had no right to just come out and say that," I told him sternly, although I felt proud and even amused. "And, Frank, you can't say you don't notice how she treats me sometimes."

Frank sighed...again. As much as I loved that Remi showed her true ugly colors, I hated seeing Frank so miserable.

"Just drop the subject," Frank almost pleaded. "Please?"

Scratch that. He did plead.

Silence. Until we got to the exit, that is. A small group of people-that-are-older-than-us and a few people-that-are-our-age are chattering away.

"Freshmen!" one of them said suddenly, pointing at us. They cheered. Two of the people-that-are-older-than-us were Ray and Gerard.

This one dude, Billy, was smiling at me.

"Who's Mikey?" he asked. Mikey raised his hand. "You're with your brother. And you must be Frank?" Frank nodded. "You're going with Ray. And I'm taking you, Layla."

I blushed. He was damn gorgeous, this Billy guy. Than, I remembered Frank mocking me. 'Like, oh my gosh! Billy is so hot!'

Frank and I exchanged knowing smiles.

"What exactly is going on?" Mikey asked, confused.

Than I realized: I don't even know Billy. I don't get noticed. I am unpopular. Remi, on the other hand, is the Queen Bee of high school. And yet no random senior wanted to help her escape this hellhole.

I smiled.

"You'll find out when it's your turn to help, freshman," Billy said to Mikey. "Shay, go."

A girl with short brown hair nodded and left through the exit.

"Shay's gonna distract the guard," Gerard said, smiling excitedly. "And you guys just subtly walk beside us. That guard has been duped for as long as I can remember. He needs to just retire."

"Give me your hand," Billy whispered. Now, before you go and think it, I do not like him. Like, oh my gosh, of course he's hot but he's about as important to me as...as...

I'll come up with something.

The pairs of freshmen and seniors (maybe five pairs) walk out slowly, one by one. Billy and I are last, right behind Frank and Ray. When I walk outside, Billy is still holding my hand and we walk slowly passed the gate. I resist the urge to laugh when I hear this Shay girl blabbing on to a too-old man. Once we're passed the gate, I see Frank is standing there waiting for me. And Billy just lets go of my hand, waves at me, and opens the passenger seat to a car. The driver honks twice, like a signal, and they drive away. Then Shay appears through the gate and looks at us.

"You're free!" Shay said. "Go eat, dammit!"

Billy is as important to me as I am to him.

There.

Frank suddenly grabs my hand and runs.

"Slow down!" I yell at him, although I'm resisting the urge to laugh.
"Not until we're far away from this place!" he yells back at me.

Far away. From this place. The both of us. Alone. Together.

Perfect.